The wide energy gap 11-VI semiconductors, such as zinc selenide and zinc selenide based ternary alloys, have been recognized as a desirable material to produce optoelectronic devices operating in the blue region of the visible light spectrum. They are compatible with silicon and gallium arsenide in terms of lattice structure and lattice parameter so that they are readily adapted to the manufacture of optoelectronic integrated circuits. However, they present problems since they do not permit formation of the typical p-n junctions due to the problems in obtaining both p- and n- type doping.
Metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) heterostructures have been found to produce blue light and such structures represent a desirable approach to the development of optoelectronic devices. However, it has been necessary to develop such a structure which can be fabricated relatively easily and economically and which will exhibit a high degree of efficiency.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel metal-insulator-semiconductor heterostructure laser which will generate light in the blue spectrum relatively efficiently.
It is also an object to provide such a semiconductor laser which can be fabricated relatively readily and relatively economically and which will exhibit good operating characteristics using a wide energy gap semiconductor.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a relatively simple and efficient method for manufacturing such semiconductor lasers.